Who is Easter For?

This Sunday is Easter, and for some of us, it is a reminder of something we have been longing for.

Easter is a reminder that we are in the midst of a story about renewal and redemption.

I’ve heard lots of Easter sermons in my life (approximately thirty-three of them), and most of them have revolved around “The Cross.”

The Cross—the place of Jesus’ sacrifice, the place in which God poured God’s own self out on behalf of all creation—is a beautiful thing. It is somber picture of God’s mercy, love, and self-lowering posture toward that which must be redeemed. The Cross must be celebrated and honored.

However, the Cross is not what makes Easter so remarkable. If it were, we would celebrate Easter on Fridays.

Easter is significant because Jesus refused to stay in the tomb. The power of Easter lies in the absence of Jesus’ body in the grave.

Without the Empty Tomb, the Cross would be just another Roman execution. Without the Empty Tomb, our story would be one of sorrow and defeat—a lament, rather than a celebration.

And so we realize that Easter is for those of us who live our lives in anticipation of some kind of resurrection. Easter is for anyone who has experienced some kind of death—a loss, a setback, a disappointment, a bitter ending to the latest chapter in one’s life.

Easter is God’s way of saying, “Just wait, because there is more to come, and it’s going to change everything.”

We celebrate Easter because we are resurrection people. We acknowledge that in the midst of the darkness, the pain, the sorrow, the despair, the disappointment, and the outrage, there is still more to come. There has been a death, but there will be a resurrection.

So who is Easter for?

Easter is for people who need resurrection.

May you spend this week anticipating resurrection.

Grace and peace be with you.